High energy impact tool assembly

ABSTRACT

A high energy impact operated tool assembly is provided for powering interchangeable terminal devices, such as wedges, chisels, punches, cutters, mandrels, stamps and other shaping means. The assembly includes a heavy encasement and a member mounted for limited sliding movement as controlled by the encasement. The slidably mounted member has means at a first end for receiving exceptionally high impact forces and a second end having a wedge shape or chisel, cutter, mandrel, stamping, or other shaping means, as selected by the operator. Fastening means are provided for attaching a power hammer to the encasement and for holding the encasement and power source together during operation.

United States Patent Berg Jan. 23, 1973 HIGH ENERGY IMPACT TOOL ASSEMBLY Inventor: Louis L. Berg, Denham Springs,

Assignee: Creative To01Co., Denham Springs,

Filed: Feb. 26, 1971 Appl. No.: 119,092

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,040,711 6/1962 Townshend ..l73/l32 X Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser Att0rneyFinnegan, Henderson, Farabow & Garrett A high energy impact operated tool assembly is provided for powering interchangeable terminal devices, such as wedges, chisels, punches, cutters, mandrels, stamps and other shaping means. The assembly includes a heavy encasement and a member mounted for limited sliding movement as controlled by the encasement. The slidably mounted member has means at a first end for receiving exceptionally high impact forces and a second end having a wedge shape or chisel, cutter, mandrel, stamping, or other shaping means, as selected by the operator. Fastening means are provided for attaching a power hammer to the encasement and for holding the encasement and power source together during operation.

ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENIEnmzs I875 3,712,390

X 1 INVENTOR 6 Louis lZBeJlgI 5 g BY 2 2 g ATTORNEYS HIGH ENERGY IMPACT TOOL ASSEMBLY This invention relates to impact driven tools and more particularly to a simplified tool assembly for enabling the use of explosives power for imparting high energy'impacts to wedges, chisels, punches, mandrels, split wedge pickle forks," stamps, and other shaping means for prying, cutting, shaping, marking or forming metal members.

Mechanical members, such as truncated cone shaped steel plugs, are commonly driven by repeated sledgehammer blows into the open ends of pipe-still flues, boiler flues, heat transfer flues and the like. Such flue plugs are held firmly in place by friction and holding means, as desired, but when left in place for long periods of time the flue plugs and holding means are subjected to the bonding forces of intense heat, corrosive atmospheres, oxidation, pressure stress, electrolysis, rusting, scaling, pressure deformation and the like.

Removal of such truncated cone shaped plugs, therefore, requires that exceptionally large wedging or prying forces be applied to the plugs by imparting mechanical hammering impacts to wedging or prying means using a manual, air, hydraulic or electromechanical power source.

During the disassembly operation, impacts from presently used power sources are sometimes imparted for extended periods of time before the desired separation is accomplished. While using presently known means, the operators are also subjected to great physical danger because the separating means must usually be held in place between the members being separated by a first operator while the hammer means or impact source is applied by a second operator. The impact source and the member being hammered, or the separating means, are two distinct and separate members. This results in an inordinate number of accidents of various types, such as chipping, misdirection of blows, and precipitate separation of heavy members which does not allow time for the operators to retreat to a safe distance from the separated members at the moment of separation.

In the past, wedges, chisels, punches, mandrels, stamps, dies and other tools have been driven by a variety of known power sources using various holding arrangements to accommodate manual, air, electromechanical, hydraulic or mechanical hammer means.

Such holding means and power sources have limited the accuracy of emplacement of such tools because of the rapid and repeated impacts required for successful operations. In the case of manually powered hammer means, the force of the impacts is limited by the physical capability of the operator. Y

Wire rope or metallic rod cutters powered by explosives and requiring remote operation for the protection of the operator have also been used. However, such remote operation has limited the effective use of these cutters. The motive sources heretofore used for powered wedges, chisels, punches and the like are massive, cumbersome and composed of many complicated working parts that make them susceptible to malfunction and which frequently require expensive replacement.

Accordingly, this invention meets the need for a simple, safe, rugged and versatile tool driving assembly for use with high energy linear impact driving means,

preferably explosively driven, to accommodate several impact tool forms and to perform work requiring highly precise direction of forces and exceptionally high impacts.

The driving assembly comprises a housing having an interior, longitudinal chamber and preferably comprising two pairs of opposed parallel side walls. Each end of the housing is open, and the opening at a first end is covered with a permanently attached end wall having an opening equipped with locking means to accommodate an explosive-powered impact source or other hammer means.

The opening at a second end is covered with a detachable end-plate forming a second end wall for the housing. The end-plate is also provided with an opening that is shaped to accommodate and to guide the shank or shaft of a tool to be driven by the hammer means. The end-plate is selectively interchangeable with other end-plates that have openings of similar or different sizes and shapes, so that different tools and/or tool shafts of different sizes and shapes can be readily used with the device of this invention. In an alternative embodiment, the end-plate at the second end of the housing is permanently affixed to the housing by weldment or other conventional attaching means.

The assembly also includes a tool, such as a wedge, chisel, punch or the like, integral with one end of the tool shaft and an impact-receiving block mounted on the opposite end of the tool shaft. The tool shaft is slidably mounted in the end-plate, and the block is slidably mounted within the housing chamber so that the extent of longitudinal movement of the tool, when the end-plate is fixed to the housing, is limited by the distance between the end walls of the housing.

The removable end-plate preferably provides a sleeve-like opening that is co-axially positioned with respect to the opening in the fixed end wall and with the interior of the housing. This sleeve-like opening serves to enclose the shank or shaft of a tool mounted within the housing. The sleeve-like opening and the interior of the housing may by cylindrical, rectangular, hexagonal, or any other shape, as necessary, to accommodate the selected tool and to permit its longitudinal movement within the housing.

This invention thus uses a minimum of heavy and sturdy parts to provide a safe, reliable, efficient and very rugged device for driving impact tools with the capability for easy operation by one operator.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the tool driving assembly of this invention with one tool form;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 but showing the tool driving assembly in assembled condition; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section of a portion of the assembly illustrating its relationship with a power hammer.

With reference now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 an embodiment of the invention which includes a heavy encasement or housing 10. The housing is preferably made of heavy steel plate and is generally rectangular in shape. The housing has a first pair of parallel opposed side walls 12 and 14 and a second pair of opposed parallel side walls 16 and 18 substantially perpendicular with side walls 12 and 14 to form an interior, longitudinal chamber 19.

An end wall 20 is integral with a first end of the housing and has a suitable opening 22 that is equipped with locking means 24 to accommodate an explosive powered impact source or other hammer means 38. The ends of side walls 12, 14, 16, and 18 opposite from end wall 20 are provided with bored and threaded holes 26 to receive threaded machine screws 28 in attaching a selectively interchangeable end-plate 30 to the opposite end of the housing from end wall 20. End-plate 30 has an opening 32 therein, and the opening is of a size and shape to accommodate and guide a shaft 34 of the selected tool form.

The tool assembly of this invention further includes an impact receiving block 35, mounted to one end of the shaft 34 of the tool form and shaped for sliding movement within chamber 19 of housing 10. As best shown in FIG. 3, block 35 is larger in cross sectional dimension than opening 32 in end plate 30 and opening 22 in end wall 20, so that when the device is assembled, the travel of block 35 is limited by end wall 20 at the first end of the housing and by removable end-plate 30 at the opposite end of the housing.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1, as an example, is equipped with a wedge-shaped member 36 forming an integral part of tool shaft 34. While this tool member is designed for removing particular types of flue plugs, it should be understood that a variety of other tool forms, as more fully explained below, may be used in place of member 36, and the tool forms can be made either detachable or integral with shaft 34 depending upon the type of work to be performed.

Preferably, and to aid in the assembly of the tool form through opening 32 in end-plate 30, impact block 35 is removably secured to the end of shaft 34 by a screw 37 or other suitable fastening means.

With reference to FIG. 4, there is shown the tip 40 of a conventional power hammer 38, such as an explosiveactuated power hammer, positioned adjacent opening 22 in end wall 20 of the housing. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, locking means are provided for receiving and holding power hammer 38 in position to impart blows to the block 35 through opening 22. As embodied and as shown in FIG. 4, the locking means comprise a plurality of lugs 24 spaced about the inner surface of opening 22 and matable with a plurality of corresponding lugs 52 spaced about the outer surface of the end of hammer 38 so that the hammer can be inserted into hole 22 with lugs 52 passing down between lugs 24. The hammer is then rotated a quarter turn to engage the lugs, as shown in FIG. 4, and to hold the hammer in position closely adjacent to block 35.

Alternatively, the fixed end wall 20 could be made as a removably attached plate to permit replacement thereof with other end plates having different size openings and/or locking arrangements for the hammer means. This would enable the assembly to be adaptable for use with a large variety of hammer arrangements.

In operation of the impact tool-driving assembly, the selected tool form with affixed impact-receiving block 35 and the selected removable end-plate 30 are positioned with the impact-receiving block 35 inserted within chamber 19 in housing 10 and toward end wall 20. Removable end-plate 30 is attached to the opposite end of the housing from end wall 20 by use of threaded machine screws 28 or other conventional fastening means. The external power source 38, preferably an explosive-actuated power hammer, is locked in place in opening 22 by locking means 24.

The working end 41 of tool form 36, e.g., the wedgeshaped member in the FIG. 1 embodiment, is positioned at the point where desired work is to be accomplished. Housing 10 is then moved toward the work piece (not shown) such that impact-receiving block 35 is retracted within chamber 19 in the housing until it is in contact with tip 40 of explosive-actuated power hammer 38 and adjacent end wall 20.

The power hammer is then actuated, and this causes the tip 40 of the power hammer to move against impact-receiving block 35. Block 35 then transmits the imparted force through shaft 34 to the terminal tool form 36 to accomplish work within the capability of the selected terminal tool form. The action is repeated as necessary until the desired results are accomplished. In the case of each terminal tool form the action is the same.

As shaft 34 moves outwardly of the housing, block 35 is received by end plate 30 which absorbs some of the force of the tool as it moves in response to the blow from the hammer. Housing 10 and end plate 30 are preferably formed of heavy steel or other suitable heavy material to provide a large mass and thereby furnish inertial braking to the forces transmitted to the housing by block 35 as it strikes end plate 30.

Although the invention has been specifically described with respect to a wedge-shaped member 36, a variety of other types of tool forms may be used in accordance with the invention. For example, this invention is equally applicable to the use of impact driven metal cutting chisels that are commonly used to cut bolts, rivets or other metal members.

The invention is also applicable for use with punches for driving friction-held members, such as pins, keys, shafts, sleeves, and the like to separate and disassemble them from holding members. Further, the invention may be used to flare ductile ferrous and non-ferrous tubing ends for accommodation to threaded male and female members to provide a connection that is liquid or gas-tight. The invention is also applicable for use with explosives-powered wire rope and metallic rod cutters, as well as number, letter, or symbol dies for use in marking members made of metals or other materials. Such steel dies are used by placing the die face against the member to be marked and by applying an impact to the provided anvil surface on the die. Automotive ball joints, tie rod ends, and the like can also be disassembled through the use of the present invention. Devices known as pickle forks in the automotive repair industry can be used as the tool form in the present invention to greatly facilitate disassembly of ball joints, tie rod ends, and the like.

The invention thus provides a simply constructed, safe and sturdy tool driving assembly for use with power hammer means and particularly with explosivesactuated power hammers.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to What is claimed is: l. A separable tool attachment for use with and operated by power hammer means having a hammer tip, said attachment comprising:

a housing having an internal, longitudinal chamber and a pair of first and second end walls each having an opening;

a tool member mounted for longitudinal sliding movement with respect to said housing and having a shaft slidably mounted through the opening in the first end wall and extending into the chamber;

an impact-receiving block mounted to the end of the shaft within the chamber and shaped to the internal, cross-sectional configuration of the chamber for sliding movement therewith, the block having a cross-sectional dimension greater than the opening in said first end wall and being located adjacent the opening in said second end wall in operative position;

a tool element connected to the shaft outwardly of the housing; and

locking means in the opening in said second end wall for receiving and locking the power hammer means in position so that the hammer tip extends through the opening in the second end wall and lies in contact with the impact-receiving block in operative position, said power hammer means thereby imparting direct and unrestricted, highenergy linear forces to said tool member upon actuation of the power hammer means, said first end wall limiting movement of the tool member and substantially absorbing the energy of the power hammer means transmitted to the tool member.

2. The tool attachment of claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of lugs in the second end wall opening for mating with a plurality of lugs on the power hammer means.

3. The tool attachment of claim 1, wherein the first end wall is removable to permit replacement of the tool member and its tool element.

4. The tool attachment of claim 1, wherein the impact-receiving block is removably fixed to the shaft of the tool member. 

1. A separable tool attachment for use with and operated by power hammer means having a hammer tip, said attachment comprising: a housing having an internal, longitudinal chamber and a pair of first and second end walls each having an opening; a tool member mounted for longitudinal sliding movement with respect to said housing and having a shaft slidably mounted through the opening in the first end wall and extending into the chamber; an impact-receiving block mounted to the end of the shaft within the chamber and shaped to the internal, cross-sectional configuration of the chamber for sliding movement therewith, the block having a cross-sectional dimension greater than the opening in said first end wall and being located adjacent the opening in said second end wall in operative position; a tool element connected to the shaft outwardly of the housing; and locking means in the opening in said second end wall for receiving and locking the power hammer means in position so that the hammer tip extends through the opening in the second end wall and lies in contact with the impact-receiving block in operative position, said power hammer means thereby imparting direct and unrestricted, high-energy linear forces to said tool member upon actuatiOn of the power hammer means, said first end wall limiting movement of the tool member and substantially absorbing the energy of the power hammer means transmitted to the tool member.
 2. The tool attachment of claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of lugs in the second end wall opening for mating with a plurality of lugs on the power hammer means.
 3. The tool attachment of claim 1, wherein the first end wall is removable to permit replacement of the tool member and its tool element.
 4. The tool attachment of claim 1, wherein the impact-receiving block is removably fixed to the shaft of the tool member. 